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Friday, December 9, 2011

Spicy Black Bean Soup - Crock Pot

I love my Crock Pot. Not only does it make a delicious dinner ready when you get home at night, but you get to say "set it and forget it" as many times as you want while it's cooking. Or maybe that's just me. This is one of those especially easy Crock Pot recipes that requires hardly any work in advance. You do need to plan ahead to soak your beans, but that's just putting beans in water overnight, so as long as you remember, it's not tough.

To soak beans - rinse dried beans in cold water. Put in a pan or bowl with a lid and cover with several inches of water. Let sit 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse.

In the crock pot, stir together all ingredients through salt and pepper.
Add enough liquid to cover by about an inch.
Cook on high for 4 hours, switch to low for at least 2 hours.
Puree using an immersion blender, if desired.

This soup is very healthy. High in fiber and protein, and low in fat. That's why you can get away with topping it however you like. I went with avocado, salsa, sour cream, and a cheese quesadilla for dipping.